1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shock wave treatment apparatus for a treatment such as disintegration of an object such as a cancer, a concretion or the like present within a living body by concentrating shock waves on the object located in a focal region or point.
2. Description of the Background Art
In FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional shock wave generator 1 for destruction or disintegration of a concretion or the like within a living body, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Specification No. 62-49843. In this shock wave generator 1, a shock wave transducer 2 having a spherical concave front surface of a certain curvature includes a central through hole 2a of a certain shape, and the transducer 2 is supported by a backing member 3 adhered to the back surface of the transducer 2. A ultrasonic wave probe 4 for scanning the living body to obtain a B-mode section image or the like is provided with an ultrasonic wave transmitting-receiving surface or alley 4a in its one end, and the alley 4a is positioned at the same curved plane of the spherical surface of the transducer 2 or retracted therefrom so as to be positioned behind the curved plane. The shock wave generator 1 applies shock waves to a living body 6 via a water bag 5 containing water therein.
When a concretion within a living body is to be disintegrated using the above described shock wave generator 1, a concentration point positioning procedure must be performed. That is, the concentration point of the shock waves generated by the transducer 2 must be adjusted such that it coincides with the concretion. This concentration point positioning procedure is effected by displaying a B-mode section image of the living body including the concretion and a target mark representing the concentration point of the shock waves on the display and by adjusting the target mark to coincide with the, B-mode image of the concretion on the display. In this case, the target mark is geometrically determined depending on the ultrasonic wave generator 1.
However, in this case, in practice, it is not easy to confirm the position of the concretion in the B-mode image on the display and the actual concentration point of the shock waves generated by the tranducer is often somewhat different or shifted from the position represented by the target mark. Therefore the actual concentration point of the shock waves can not be confirmed. Further, after the generation of the shock waves to the concretion, it is difficult to confirm how much of the concretion has been disintegrated.